Electrical valve-controller



(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. J. V. STOUT. ELECTRICAL VALVE CONTROLLER.

BIO/476,573. Patented June 7, 1892.

THE NORRIS PETER! 0a.. PHOTOUTHO.,-WASHINGTON, n. a.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

J. V. STOUT.

ELECTRICAL VALVE CONTROLLER.

No. 476,573. Patented June 7, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

JOHN V. STOUT, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL VALVE-CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,573, dated June 7,1892.

Application filed December 22,1891. Serial No. 415,905. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN V. STOUT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Easton, in the county of Northampton and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inElectric Valve-Controllers, (Case G,) of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to mechanism for opening and closingvalves, and especially valves which are employed for controlling steamor water pipes in heating systems.

In niypatent, No. 461,55I, dated October 20, 1891, I have shown anddescribed such a valve having an arrangement of toggle-levers, magnets,and armatures for opening and closing the same. In the constructionshown in the patent the magnets are mounted on a suitable frame and liein planes at right angles to the valve-rod. The armatures of the magnetsare mounted on sliding rods also at right angles to the valve-stem, andsaid sliding rods operate on the toggle at the central pivot directly orby means of levers. The present invention constitutes an improvement onthis valve mechanism; and the invention consists in the several newcombinations and new features of construction hereinafter described,whereby friction is reduced and the toggle is operated in a moreeflicient manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly insection, of the valve mechanism. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, andFigs. 3, 4, and 5 are modifications to be described.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a cast-metal rectangular plate, below which thevalve-box 2, having an inletport 3 and an outlet-port 1, is mounted.Said plate is cast with two transverse ribs 5, which form the yokes oftwo electro-magnets 6 7, the two limbs of each magnet being connected tothe plate 1 and the yokes 5 by suitable bolts 8. These magnets stand inplanes parallel with the valve-rod, and their armatures also move insuch planes, or substantially so. Above the plate 1 is a cast-brass orother metal frame 0, which is substantially rectangular and is providedwith a central cross-bar 10, at the center of which is an opening inwhich the plunger 11, which is connected to the valverod 12, can slide,such connection being made by means of the spring within the hollowlower portion of plunger 11, said spring pressing at its lower end onthe nut 13 through ring 13 and at its upper end pressing upward againstthe plunger at 16. The nut13, which may be adjusted for valve-rods ofdifferent lengths, is screwed onto the lower end of the plunger 11, andthe rod 12 passes loosely through the nut. The spring when the valve isopen does not bear on the valve-rod; but when the valve is moved ontoits seat it is raised so that disk 15 on the rod presses against thespring, the strength of which will depend on the nature of the system tobe controlled. The ring 11 can be set at any desired position on thepart 11 to limit its upward movement. This not only limits movement ofthe valve, but prevents the toggle being moved so far as to becomelocked against return movement. In the lower side 17 of the rectangularframe is an opening through which the valve rod or stem passes. In theupper cross-bar 18 is a rectangular slot or opening 19, in which ispivoted a swinging T-frame or T-lever, the construction of which will beclear from the side view shown in Fig. 1 and the plan view shown in Fig.2. In the preferred form this element of the mechanism consists of twoside T-pieces 20, having at their lower ends notches 21, which receivethe pin 22, which is the pivotpin at the knuckle of a knuckle or togglelever having two arms 23 24,-the former of which is centered loosely onthe pivot-pin 25 of the T-frame and which constitutes the fulcrum of thetoggle and the second of which is pivoted to the plunger 11 at 26. Itwill be evident that both of these T-pieces 20 will not always benecessary. At the opposite ends of the head of the T-frame the arms 2728 are pivoted, and the lower ends of these arms are pivoted,respectively, to the arms 29 30, which are pivoted in the side bars ofthe rectangular frame at 31. The arm 28, which is on the side towardwhich the toggle-lever bends, is curved, as shown, to give space forsaid movement. Motion is given to the arms 29 80 by means of thereciprocating rods 32, which are connected to the balance-armatures 3334 of the two magnets, the lower ends of said rods having heads providedwith notches 35, which fit over pins 36, carried by the arms. The partsare so adjusted that when the valve is open, as shown in Fig. 1, thearmature 33 is touching or nearly touching the poles of its magnet,while the armature 34 is, say, a siX- teenth of an inch, or a littlemore, from its poles, and the leverage is such that movement of themagnet 34 through the short distance which it moves will give the valvea movement somewhat longersaya movement of half an inch. This enables meto get along movement of the valve and still to keep the armature withina short and eifective distance from the poles.

37 is a plate pivoted at 38 and having a slot 39, through which projectsa stationary guide and limiting pin 40 on the plate 40, which plate alsosupports the pivot 38. At the inner end of this plate is a notch 41,through which projects a pin 42, which is the pivotpin between arms 28and 30, extended in the direction of said plate 37. At the opposite endthis plate is provided with two insulatingsegments 43 44, on whichbrushes 45 46 bear, respectively, at suitable times.

It is considered unnecessary to show and describe the circuitconnections through the magnets and cireuit-controllers, since they maybe identical with those shown inthe patent above referred to. I prefer,however, in connection with this improved valve to apply theshunt-magnets and parts operated there by shown and described in mypatent, No. 461,555, dated October 20,1891, since this still furthersaves battery and adds to the economy and efficiency of the system. Thearrangement of parts described is very compact, strong, and free fromdanger of disarrangcment. I prefer to cover the operating mechanism by athin metal cover 0, which may be screwed to the plate. 1.

The operation of this apparatus, briefly, is as follows: \Vhen magnet 7is energized, its armature is moved downward, the head at the lower endof rod 32 pushing on pin 36, thus through the arms 30 and 28 pullingdown on the right arm of the T-frame, applying power positively at thefulcrum and carrying the pivot 22 of the toggle toward the left,straightening the toggle, and closing the valve. I find that with thearrangement of parts which I have described this movement of the valvecan be effected with a much smaller battery than in my patentedapparatus. This is because there is practically no friction opposing ithe movement of the armatures, since their rods are not caused to bindby the weight of the armatures and the armatures are balanced.

one by the other and because motion is transferred from the armatures tothe toggle in a more direct and positive manner. It will be seen thatthe cross-arms of the T-frame are not perfectly straight, but that thepivot at one end is below or out of line with the other, theconstruction being such that when the left arm is in its lowestposition, as shown, the pivot at the right will be in the samehorizontal line with the pivot 25, so that when the armature firstbegins to move, it being then farthest from the magnet, and consequentlyin its position of smallest efficiency, it shall have the best possibleleverage, since after the toggle has been moved so that it is nearlystraight, while the power necessary to complete the movement is greaterthan the power necessary to start it, the armature is so near the magnetthat its power is ample to do the work .required. IVhen the valve isfully closed, the pivot at the left will be in the same horizontal linewith pivot 25 for the same reason. The purpose and operation of thespring 15 need not be set forth in full. It is the same as the spring56in my patent first above mentioned, the only difference being that itsposition is changed.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the two .armatures 33 34 are mountedon a lever 47, {pivoted at 48. To this lever is connected a singlereciprocating rod 32, having at its lower j end a head having a closedslot 35 instead of :the open notch 35 of Fig. 1, in which stands Ea pin48 on the arm 49, which is pivoted at 50 ito the fulcrum and at theopposite end to the arm 51, which corresponds to arm 28 of Fig. i1. Theupper end of this arm is pivoted to lthe angle-lever 52, forming onememberof the toggle, the lower member of the toggle being ;connected tothe valve rod, as before described. With this construction when thearmature 34 is moved downward the arm 51 pulls downward on theangle-lever, opening the valve, and when armature 33 is pulled down saidarm 51 will push upward on said angle-lever, closing the Valve. In thismodification the motion is transferred from the armatures to thetoggle-lever by providing one member of the toggle with an angle-arm andapplying the power directly to it. The armatures 33 34 balance eachother and are moved with great ease. The passage through which the rod32 passes in the frame 9 may bea little larger than the rod, so that therod will not bind on account of the angular movement of the pivot 53.Instead of using the anglelever 52 to form the upper member of thetoggle the T-lever 52, Fig. 5, may be employed, the arms 27 28 beingconnected thereto in the same manner as they are connected to T- vpieces20 in Fig. 1. The armatures of the operating-magnets may be mounted asin Fig. 1 or as in Fig. 3.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 I subfstitute for the T or anglelever forming the @upper member of the toggle the wheel 54, with ene ormore teeth 54', and the arm 55, the lower end of which is pivoted to theother :toggle member, as heretofore described, said wheel and arm beingrigidly connected. 56 is a chain passing over this wheel-and engagingwith its teeth, the opposite ends being connected to the two levers 2930. The radii of wheel 54, on which the chain acts, are equivalent tothe two arms projecting in opposite directions from the fulcrum 25 in Fi1 and of the single arm projecting from the corresponding fulcrum inFig. 3. The operation of this form will be the same as that of the formshown in Fig. 1. In each of the modifications power is applied at theend of a lever pivoted at the fulcrum of the toggle. In the first casethe lever is separate from the upper member of the toggle, and in theother forms it is a part thereof.

lVithout limiting myself to just the forms described, what I claim is 1.The combination of a valve, a togglejoint connected thereto, a fulcrumfor said toggle an d means for applying power to the togglc,comprisingalever pivoted at said fulcrum, an armature connected to saidlever, and a magnet adapted to move said armature, substantially asdescribed.

The combination of a valve and valve rod or stem, a toggle-jointconnected thereto, a fulcrum for said toggle, a lever pivoted at saidfulcrum and connected to the togglejoint for applying power thereto, twomagnets and armatures, and power-transmitting devices between saidarmatures and toggle-lever, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a valve and valvestem, a toggle-joint connected atone end to said stem and at the other end to a fulcrum, one or more armsconnected to the upper member of the toggle and projecting from thefulcrum, and means consisting of magnets and armatures suitablyconnected thereto for applying power at the end of said arm or arms tobend or straighten the toggle, thereby opening or closing the valve,substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a valve-controller, of a valve and valve-stem, atoggle-joint connected at one end to said stem and at the other end to afulcrum, one or more arms connected to the upper member of the toggleand projecting from the fulcrum, and means consisting of magnets andarmatures and power-transmittin g connections between said armatures andprojecting arms for applying power to said arm or arms to bend orstraighten the toggle, thereby opening or closing the valve,substantially as described.

5. The combination of a valve and valverod, a toggle-joint, one end ofwhich is connected to said rod and the other end of which is connectedto a fulcrum, magnets and armatures, and power-transmitting devicesbetween said armatures and toggle-joint for operating the latter to openor close the valve, said armatures being movable in lines substantiallyparallel with the direction of movement of the valve, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination of a valve and valverod, a toggle comprising twolevers 23 24, suitably pivoted, the T piece or pieces centered onthefulcrum and engaging with the knucklepin of the toggle, and means forapplying power to the cross-head of said T-pieces, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination of a valve and valverod, a toggle, one end of whichis connected to the valve-rod, the other end of which is connected to afulcrum, two magnets and armatures, and power-transmitting mechanismbetween the armatures and toggle for bending and straightening the sameto open and close the valve, said armatures being balanced, whereby thepower required to move them is reduced, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the base-plate 1, having one or more ribsformed integral therewith and constituting the yoke or yokes of a magnetor of magnets, of magnet poles and coils secured to said base-plate overthe rib or ribs, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the valve supported outside of the base-plate, thevalve-rod and operatingtoggle, the magnets, and the armaturcs connectedto the toggle for operating it, the yokes of said magnets being composedof ribs integral with the base-plate, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 18th day of December, 1891.

JOHN V. STOUT. Witnesses:

CHARLES M1. GATLIN, GEO. W. BARNETT,

